A threat posed itself in front of the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum and Co. were startled until the final few sequences of the game. Thanks to their visionary defense, a few clutch steals helped them push for overtime. From there the home crowd’s roars drained the Pacers. It now stands at 1-0 in favor of the Celtics.

Game 2 stands hours away. Indiana has done enough to be recognized as the giant killers. An enticing series awaits NBA fans. As such, let’s look at a brief history of how some of the Celtics’ biggest stars have fared against the Pacers.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Jrue Holiday stats vs Pacers

The Celtics might have made star upgrades to their roster but that didn’t affect the production of Jayson Tatum. Maintaining his position as the first option scorer he had another sublime regular season averaging 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and a career-high 4.9 assists. He has constantly evolved from being a raw scoring talent to the cornerstone of a championship-contending team. Throughout his career, he has faced the Indiana Pacers 24 times.

His best performance against them came during their last regular season game this season. Tatum took the onus upon himself and erupted for 38 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 60% from the field. The Celtics won comfortably with their keystone running the show at his whim.

Jaylen Brown was the biggest attraction during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game-tying shot was one of his many highlights from this season. Playing 70 games, his scoring average dropped to 23 points largely due to Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis’ inclusion within the starting roster. He too has played against the Pacers 24 times.

Brown’s numbers might have fallen, however, his efficiency had never been better. He ended the regular season shooting 49.9% from the field, the highest mark in his eight-year career in the NBA. Additionally, he also managed to fix his three point struggles from last season, shooting 35.4% from beyond the arc.

Completing the trio is Jrue Holiday. After bidding adieu to the Milwaukee Bucks, a franchise Holiday considered home, he landed up on the team considered their biggest rivals. In his first season with the Celtics, the All-Defensive Second Team guard took a passive role. He averaged just 12.5 points per game while dishing out 5.4 assists. In his decorated career, Holiday has faced the Pacers 41 times.

Holiday was brought in to improve the Celtics’ defense, which he successfully managed to achieve. At the same time, he played an instrumental role in making them the most successful shooting team in the league. His 42.9% three-point percentage is a career-high and shaped the offense Boston currently thrives with.

Celtics stats vs Pacers

As conference rivals, Indiana and Boston met five times. The first game saw the Celtics annihilate the young and fearless Pacers. They beat them by 51 points, thanks to Tatum’s monster double-double. From there their battles have been quite even. The Pacers’ quick-fire offense and elite shot-making have proven to cause trouble for Boston.

Take Game 1 for example. No one had Indiana beating the Celtics at home. However, if it wasn’t for their own carelessness, they would have accomplished the unthinkable. It just goes to show how tough and competitive this Indiana team truly is. They have engineered a high-intensity offense that succumbs their rivals.

Boston felt it too. Mental fortitude allowed them to prevail in the improbable circumstances. But it can be argued it was the ‘worst’ of Boston for the first three quarters. They were sloppy, didn’t shoot the ball well, and weren’t able to stop the Pacers’ emphatic offense. They will most likely not repeat the same mistakes again.

The Pacers are the ones that now need to be wary of the NBA powerhouse bouncing back tonight. Their first battle has established just how blockbuster this series could potentially be. With a spot in the NBA Finals up for grabs, neither the Pacers nor the Celtics are going to yield without a dogfight.